


Answers and Follow-Up Questions

by sspaceyy



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Multi, Trans Taako (The Adventure Zone)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-13
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-01-12 17:04:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18450881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sspaceyy/pseuds/sspaceyy
Summary: Taako has had everything taken from him. But when he gets everything back, he gets more than he ever could have hoped for.





	1. remembrance

Taako got back late, frantically shutting the door to his room behind him and staying there, back leaning up against it for a long moment. _Shit_ , he thought. _How the fuck am I gonna explain to Mags and Merle that I'm kinda sorta dating death?_ At this, he sunk to the ground, back still against the door, face in his hands, groaning.

"What the fuck have I gotten myself into this time?" he murmured to himself. He lowered his hands, glancing down at the misshapen vase-bowl amalgam that he had thrown carelessly to the floor upon entry. He reached for it, tracing its uneven edges and thinking for another long moment, finding his thoughts trailing all in the same direction. "Shit, Krav..." he cooed, rising to his feet to place the vase-bowl on his nightstand. He tiredly fell onto the bed, not bothering to undress, and elected to sleep instead of meditate, recalling that Lucretia said she had a mission for them tomorrow.

He shivered for a moment, though he couldn't figure out why as the Bureau dorms were always well air conditioned. He shrugged it off, blearily reaching for the covers at the foot of the bed, already half asleep.

|><|  
|><|

Taako was having one hell of a day. In what felt like less than an hour, he'd lost his sister, found her, lost her again, and found her again, saved the world, saw the love of his life again, which— _shit. Magnus._

Taako finally mustered the energy to rise from where he was sitting next to Lup. He was exhausted, they both were, but he was determined. He looked around frantically, trying to pick a face out of the growing crowd. Finally, he saw Angus McDonald rise up above the rest. "Everyone! Johann was right! We won!" And for a split second, Taako considered sitting back down, dozing off next to his sister, leaving this for later, but, no. This was important. He had gotten Lup back already, but Magnus was still slightly out of his grasp.

He shifted his vision back down to search the crowd some more, but was surprised to see what he was looking for directly under Angus, holding the boy detective up. He was moving instantaneously, combing his way through the crowd, pushing people out of his way if he needed to, and not waiting up to hear their protests at being displaced. As he got closer and closer, he saw Magnus set the boy down, and just as he did so, Taako grabbed him by one large wrist and started dragging him out of the crowd. And, surprisingly, he heard no protest.

Taako looked around for a second, and then made a beeline to the closest place with some privacy, which happened to be the Fantasy Costco. He led Magnus, who seemed to be following intently now, through the sliding doors. He finally let go of the larger man's wrist when he was positioned in between Taako and some empty shelving. Taako looked up at him for what seemed an eternity, before Magnus decided to break the silence.

"So, I—" he was cut off by Taako's lips on his own, knocked back against the shelves from the sheer force of the wizard's embrace. Taako wrapped one arm around Magnus's neck, tangling his other hand in the larger man's curls. He hadn't remembered how much he loved doing this. How could he have? He pulled away after a long moment, staring into Magnus's eyes. But, he looked surprised. _Shit,_ Taako thought. _He doesn't remember?_

He frantically started to get off of Magnus, trying to put some distance between the two, hoping the larger man wouldn't notice the small tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "Shit, sorry Mags, I—" But of course Magnus noticed. He pulled Taako back in. He didn't want Taako to cry. He didn't want Taako to hurt. Taako didn't care if he was crying anymore. He melted into Magnus, tears rolling down his cheeks. I _f he doesn't remember at this point,_ he thought.

They finally parted, staring deep into each other's eyes, starstruck. After a long time of just being there, Magnus spoke. "So...do you remember or...?"

Taako just about slapped him. "Of course I remember dipshit!" he couldn't keep himself from laughing, more tears rolling down his face. Magnus stared in disbelief for a moment, then started laughing right along with him, scooping him up and twirling him around in a bear hug.

"Shit..." Taako said when Magnus finally put him down.

"What?" Magnus asked.

"What the fuck am I gonna tell Krav?"

 


	2. decisions, decisions

Taako and Magnus exited the Fantasy Costco hand in hand, and started searching for Kravitz. Luckily, it didn't take them very long as, apparently, Kravitz was also looking for them. They needed some more privacy, so Taako gestured to the Fantasy Costco again, but Magnus suggested somewhere a bit more comfortable.

As they entered the Tres Horny Boys' common room, Taako and Magnus dropped hands, sitting down cross-legged next to each other on the carpet, completely ignoring the two good couches next to them. Kravitz sat down across from them, only slightly uncomfortably.

"So, why did you want to talk?" Kravitz started, while at the same time Taako said, "You were looking for us?" Kravitz blushed for a moment, then said, "You go first."

"So...apparently Magnus and me have known each other for like, over a hundred years and we were on this expedition thing..." Taako began, reciting all of his newly found memories, telling of his and Magnus's time on the Starblaster, how they met, how they became friends, how they fell in love. Kravitz listened intently, not because he wanted to know what had happened—he already knew all of the details—but because he loved the sound of Taako's voice.

Taako finished his story almost ten minutes later. Kravitz smiled and looked up at the two, saying, "You know I already knew all of that, right? No one anywhere, dead, alive, or otherwise was exempt from Junior's broadcast."

Magnus's eyes went wide as he slapped his palm to his face, a smile growing on his lips. " _Shit,_ we totally forgot!"

Taako just burst out laughing. "Fuck, we really are idiots sometimes, huh, Mags?" He said, wiping at the corners of his eyes and leaning into Magnus's side.

Kravitz's smile faded slightly, then morphed completely into a frown. He looked down at the rug. "I, uh...I'm really happy for the two of you, and..." he looked up at Taako, hesitating for a moment at seeing the elf's curious expression. "Look, I know how you both feel and, I-I can see that you have some history...a _lot_ , it would seem." At this, Taako's smile completely faded. "I...I know that history is important, and...I just don't have that....I want you to know I won't be hurt if you want to...you know." Kravitz stood up from the floor, turning toward the door. He exhaled a shaky breath into his hand after a moment, then turned around to face the two again. "Goodbye, Taako. Goodbye, Magnus."

He turned back and started walking towards the door. He almost had his hand on the knob when he felt a hand on his wrist. He turned around to see Taako looking up at him, more desperate than Kravitz had ever seen him. Taako surprised him with a kiss, deep and warm. Kravitz wrapped his arms around the smaller man. Taako pulled away, then turned, motioning to Magnus. "Get over here you big dummy." Magnus did as he was told. Taako took Kravitz's hand in his own, placing Magnus's in his other. " _Fuck this_." He said shakily. "Why should I have to decide who I'm with? Gods, I like you both _so fucking much_. Shit ain't fair." He rubbed circles into the other's hands with his thumbs for a moment, feeling the contrast of Magnus's warm skin and Kravitz's ice cold. "Fuck it. I'm not choosing."

"What?" Magnus asked, confused.

"I choose both." Taako shot back.

 


	3. we need to talk

_Fuck_ , Taako was happy. Happier than he'd ever been probably. He had a nice house on a nice moonbase, a sister who was nice as hell, and two fucking hot guys to date. He had a family.

It had been about a year and a half since the day of Story and Song. There had been a few weeks of figuring shit out, but Taako, Magnus, and Kravitz had come up with something good. Taako fucking loved both of them and they both loved him just as much and, shit, they even started to take a liking to each other. Taako had never tried polyamory before, but hey, it seemed kinda useful.

"Morning babe," Kravitz said, planting a kiss on Taako's cheek as he walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Magnus walked into the common room and plopped himself down in his huge ass armchair.

After Merle had moved out to go take care of his kids, Taako saw an opportunity and grabbed it. Kravitz moved into Merle's old room about a week after Merle had moved out. They all stayed in their respective rooms for about a day before ordering the most extra large bed they could find and plopping it in the middle of Magnus's room, his being the biggest.

Kravitz found the cream in the fridge, closing it and starting toward the fantasy coffee maker, stopped by Taako's hand on his shoulder. "Already got ya covered bubula," Taako pointed with his other hand at the island, where 3 mugs were sitting on the counter, one green with diamond shaped detailing, one plain black, and one misshapen and hand made out of clay.

Kravitz smiled down at Taako for a moment, taking the elven hand from his shoulder and planting a kiss on the palm. "Thank you," Kravitz said, releasing Taako's hand to pick up the black mug and begin sipping. _With cream_ , he thought. _He knows me too well_.

"Come and get it Mango!" Taako called, returning his focus to the pan of scrambled eggs in front of him.

"Mmmuugh..." Magnus grunted in reply. "But I'm so comfyyy..." Taako rolled his eyes, smiling a bit.

Kravitz picked up the clay mug in his other hand and walked over to the armchair, handing Magnus the mug and plopping down in the larger man's lap, taking another sip from his own mug before saying, "There you go, dumbass."

Taako grabbed three plates from the cabinet, placing them down next to each other on the counter and filling each with some eggs, one with a slightly larger portion than the others. He sprinkled each of the plates with a bit of salt, some pepper, and a dollop of ketchup on the side. And of course, on each plate he placed a leaf of cilantro, because anything could be made better with cilantro. He stood back a moment to admire his work, simple, but perfect. Placing forks on the edge of each plate, he skillfully scooped two of the plates up in one arm, balancing the other on his forearm and grabbing the green mug off the counter with his hand. He sauntered over to the armchair, handing the plate with the larger portion to Magnus, and one with the same portion size as his own to Kravitz. "Soup's on, babes" he said, taking a sip of his tea as he positioned himself on one of the arms of the chair, leaning up against Magnus's huge tricep.

"Hey..." Magnus began, peering down at his mug. "Why does Krav get more coffee than me?"

Kravitz looked up for a moment, fork still in his mouth, but decided to stay out of it this time. Taako loaded the cannons. " _First off_ , if you didn't take it with twelve fucking cups of sugar, you'd have more room for actual coffee. _Second_ , if you didn't insist on not drinking out of anything except that stupid ass mug, you'd get more. And _this_ is why we have to put you on blast every time you take a fucking sip" Taako was fuming.

"Hey!" Magnus protested. "Ango made me this mug, I'm sure as hell gonna use it!" Taako rolled his eyes, restraining an amused grin.

Within a half hour, breakfast was done and the three were cleaning up in the kitchen. Well, two of them were. Magnus was busy finding any excuse he could to be all over the two of them. "Thanks for breakfast babe," Magnus said to Taako. Kravitz smirked, placing a plate down in the drying rack. He knew _exactly_ where this was going.

"Yeah, well if you liked it that much, maybe you can pay me back later homie," Taako retorted with a grin.

"Hmmm..." Magnus cooed, drifting over to Taako like a fucking air hockey puck. "How about now?" With this, he took Taako's waist in his hands, planting kisses on Taako's shoulders and neck, making his way up to the wizard's long ears. Taako shuddered at Magnus's warmth on his sensitive ears, almost dropping the mug he was washing. He leaned into Magnus involuntarily, craving more of the larger man's warmth.

The two were interrupted by someone slamming through the front door. Taako was completely turned off when he turned to recognize the person now standing in his foyer, hands on her knees and panting, as Lucretia. He was surprised however, to hear genuine worry in her tone when she spoke.

"Taako, we need to talk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title taken from Steven Universe season 2 episode 9, "We Need To Talk"


	4. she lives in a world so unaware

"Taako, we need to talk."

"About what?" Magnus answered for Taako, removing his hands from the elf's waist. Taako suddenly felt cold without Magnus's hands there.

"I... I-I don't..." Lucretia began, tripping over her words. "Magnus, I... this isn't really something we can talk about with you..." Taako wondered what the hell she was talking about. He didn't have any secrets from Magnus, and even if he did, there'd be no way in hell _she'd_ know them. "But—believe me—it's not for a lack of trying."

_Oh,_ Taako thought. _That._

"Hey..." Magnus began, trying to sound the least offended he could. "Whatever it is, I'm sure I—" he was cut off when Taako grabbed his wrist. He was surprised by the firmness of his grip, the iciness of his fingers.

Taako spoke, eyes still focused on Lucretia. "Mags, listen to her." He eased his grip, breaking his gaze to look up at the larger man. "Trust me." Magnus studied the elf's features for a minute, the sharp curve of his jaw, the small points of his ears. He nodded, finally. "Thanks, homie," Taako rose to his tip toes to place a kiss on Magnus's cheek. He turned toward Lucretia, "Do I have time to get dressed?"

"Go ahead."

Taako started towards their room as Magnus sat at the kitchen table, trying to make small talk with Lucretia. Kravitz followed Taako to the room, slightly worried. "Hey... is this anything I can help with?" Taako hurriedly pulled on his oversized sweater, letting it fall almost lower than his skirt. He skittered to the closet, pulling out his emerald green cloak as he said, "Thanks Krav, But this is kind of a me thing." He pulled his long golden hair up into a messy bun while walking back across the room, leaning into the mirror to apply some lipstick before casting _Disguise Self_. If he was gonna do this, he was gonna look fucking good while doing it.

"Well..." Kravitz began, slightly more calm. "If there's anything I can do..."

Taako placed his hands on either of Kravitz's shoulders, staring into his dark red eyes. "The best thing you can do for me right now is stay here and make sure Mags doesn't worry himself to death." Kravitz stared for a moment, then nodded firmly. Taako leaned in for a brief kiss. "Thanks, bubula."

Taako exited the room, heading towards the doorway where Lucretia still stood, however less out of breath than when she had entered. He turned back towards Magnus one last time. "If this is dangerous and you die, I'll kill you," Magnus said. Taako snorted. Lucretia pursed her lips.

"Shall we? Lucretia prompted.

"Fuck, why not"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title taken from Sarah Smiles by Panic! at the Disco


	5. i walk alone

Taako stared down at his feet, keeping a brisk pace with Lucretia as they walked across the quad towards the brig. He didn't want to look at her, to engage with her at all, and he didn't know what to do with his hands. Thankfully, he didn't have to figure that out.

"Taako!" he heard a voice call, identifying it immediately. He looked up and turned toward the noise, instantly relieved to see his sister's face. He started toward Lup, but was stopped by Lucretia's hand on his wrist.

"Taako, we don't have time," she said nervously. Taako considered this briefly, looking back at Lup. After a moment, he yanked his arm out of Lucretia's grasp abruptly and started sprinting towards Lup. Lucretia thought it best not to protest.

Taako skidded to a halt right in front of his twin, leaning in to hug her. Lup accepted his embrace warmly, stating "Jeez, I know we only saw each other a few days ago but it feels like forever, huh?"

"I know just what you mean," Taako said, releasing her.

"Anyways, I was just heading over to your place to give you this," she handed him a long package, wrapped in brown paper. "Glad I caught you."

Taako looked the package over for a moment, then began to unwrap it. What he saw when it was open nearly brought tears to his eyes. In his hands laid a long, black umbrella with emerald green and blue nebulas sprawled across the folded up fabric. Taako examined the curved navy blue handle. The way it fit into his hand was ever so familiar. He fiddled with the strings tied around the fabric, tracing the star and moon at either end with his fingers. He opened the umbrella up, placing the pole on his shoulder and admiring the shifting stars and galaxies on the inside of the fabric. Finally, he stared at his sister, speechless. The only thing he could think to do was hug her. So he did.

"I knew you'd like it"

" _Fuck_ yes, babe. I fuckin _love_ it!" Taako released Lup, closing the umbrastaff and setting it at his side as he noticed an eerily familiar looking umbrella strapped to Lup's belt.

"I remembered how much you loved mine and wanted to get you one of your own. While I was making it, I figured why the hell not make mine again, right?" She removed her umbrastaff from her belt, holding it up to Taako's. "Look, now we match."

Taako was hella excited. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lucretia, checking her watch every three seconds and looking nervously toward the brig every four. He sighed under his breath, pulled Lup in for one last hug, and said "Thanks Lulu. Gotta go." Lup waved at him as he walked back over to Lucretia, eventually turning her back to the two to walk across the quad.

Lucretia said nothing for the rest of the short walk to the brig. Taako was starting to have trouble keeping pace with her, as it seemed she was walking significantly faster, perhaps to make up for lost time. Finally, they reached the door to the brig. Lucretia held her bracer up like a watch, tapping the four triangles that formed the BoB logo in a specific order Taako had never seen before, then tapping it to a touchpad to the right of the entrance. She hesitated a moment as the doors slid open frictionlessly, looking over at Taako finally before drawing in a nervous breath.

"Ready?"

"Shit, don't know if I can get any readier than this."

Lucretia nodded slightly, turning her attention to the long corridor in front of them. After a moment, she stepped through the threshold with purpose, Taako keeping stride this time. "We first spotted Kalen on the road to Phandolin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title taken from Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day


	6. once more unto the breach

Taako shuddered. Just hearing his name made him writhe in discomfort. Nevertheless, he spoke without an ounce of shakiness in his voice. "Has anyone gotten Merle over here yet?"

"We've been trying to get in touch with him, but he's not answering his stone of far speech," Lucretia replied bluntly.

"Damn," Taako cursed. "Well, I guess he'll just have to hear about it later."

|><|  
|><|

Kravitz finished putting the last of the breakfast dishes away in the cabinet, closing it softly and hanging up his apron on the hook on the wall. He turned to see Magnus at the table, fidgeting softly with his stone of far speech. The large man's nervous expression quickly turned to one of fake contentment as Kravitz sat down in the chair across from him.

"Sorry for leaving you with dish duty Krav," he uttered monotonely.

Kravitz stared for a second. "It's... it's not a problem." Magnus tried and failed to keep up his facade. "...Are you ok, Mags?"

Magnus stared down at his hands, clasped tightly around his stone of far speech. "Just... worried is all." Kravitz was quiet. He usually didn't know what to say in tense situations, but his silence here was out of curiosity. He wanted to know what Magnus needed to say. "I mean, _fuck._ I don't even know what the hell he's doing out there, but I know it's my fault."

Kravitz's fist tightened under the table. "Fuck that." Magnus looked up, surprised. Kravitz usually wasn't one to swear. "You know it's not your fault. You—"

"But it is! If—" Magnus was interrupted by tears streaming down his face, hot and wet. Kravitz stared, bewildered. Magnus has always been a crier, but they were usually happy tears. Kravitz stood up from his chair and walked around the table to Magnus. Like clockwork, he wrapped his arms around the large man, head in his hands, fingers tangled in his curls. Kravitz stroked his locks soothingly, placing his chin on Magnus's head. Magnus gasped, unsuccessfully trying to choke back a sob. "If I could remember, I'd be able to go myself. I'd be able to protect him."

Kravitz sighed. "You did protect him. Him and Merle. You protected them so, so much. You sacrificed so much in Wonderland, babe. All so you could protect your closest friends. You took that punishment so Merle wouldn't have to lose the memory of his fucking kids, Mags! That's the most badass hero shit i've ever seen!" Kravitz broke their embrace to cup Magnus's face in his hands. He wiped a tear off his cheek with a cold thumb. "You're the best at protecting people, babe. You deserve a break."

Magnus sighed and leaned his face into Kravitz's cold hand. "I guess you're right."

Kravitz leaned in to kiss the large man. They parted after a solemn moment, Kravitz looking deep into Magnus's eyes. "Besides, if anything happens to him, I'll know."

|><|  
|><|

Lucretia led Taako into a small, dimly lit room where Killian, Lucas, and Avi were standing in front of a window which Taako assumed was a one way mirror. Avi looked up when the two entered, slightly comforted by the familiar faces. Lucas didn't look up from the tablet he was holding, and Killian didn't look away from the window. Her expression was more serious than Taako had ever seen it.

Avi wasted no time with formalities. "I spotted him while aiming a cannon toward the Felicity Wilds for a team that was headed to Wonderland to bring supplies to the camps there." Taako nodded, peering through the window to look at the captive. There, kneeling with his hands cuffed to the floor, was Governor Kalen, more nasty-looking than Taako had imagined. "Killian took it upon herself to see to his capture." Avi placed a hand on Killian's shoulder, and finally she relaxed, turning to Taako.

"Fuck him up for me Taako." The elf nodded, a smirk finding its way onto his face. Killian walked past Taako, sighing as she opened the door to leave. "I need a nap," she announced as she closed the door behind her.

Taako suddenly felt dizzy. He put a hand on the wall, kneeling to keep from vomiting. Lucretia put her hand on Taako's shoulder. "Taako, it's going to be—" Taako shoved her hand away. He didn't want to be touched by her. She'd already taken so much from him. Lucretia lowered her hand, keeping quiet.

Taako stood up, putting on a mask confidence. "Ok. anything else I need to know?"

Lucas looked up from his tablet, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose to look at Taako. "His cuffs cancel magic, so he won't be able to spell you."

"Thanks," Taako said, heading for the door that connected the two rooms. He still wasn't entirely sure about Lucas, but he seemed to be turning around.

"Taako," Lucas stopped him as he was reaching for the knob. Taako turned to look at the shorter man. "Give him hell." Taako nodded, turned the knob, and walked into the small white room.


	7. for you, i would get beat to smithereens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey just a heads up its gonna get kinda bloody this chapter so if you're not good with that probably don't read

Taako shut the door silently behind himself, his grip on his new umbrastaff tightening. Kalen looked up after a few moments, the bags under his eyes becoming especially pronounced under the bright lights. Taako stepped tenuously closer, then continued after seeing the man's lack of a reaction to his movement. He stopped about three feet away from the kneeling figure, still wanting to keep somewhat of a safe distance. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a "And who the hell are you?"

Taako almost smirked. A slimy voice for a slimy man. "Fuck, I guess I should be asking you the same thing, huh? I mean, Magnus had never told me directly, but I can only assume."

Kalen almost seemed to become more lively at the mention of Magnus's name. Taako noticed this. Taako _hated_ this. "So what are you then? A friend? Coworker, perhaps? Lov-"

"I'm the guy that's gonna make sure you feel a world of hurt for what you did to him. To Julia!" Taako pointed his umbrastaff at the dead center of Kalen's forehead. Kalen smiled. Taako sighed, preparing a Magic Missile. "I really shouldn't give you the satisfaction of living another second though, now should I?"

Now, this next part went a mile a minute. But to Taako, it all happened in slow motion. And he couldn't stop it. All he could do was look. He saw Kalen tip his head upward ever so slightly. He saw him grip the glowing tip of the umbrastaff between his teeth. He saw him shove it downwards. He saw the Magic Missile fire at the man's restraints, obliterating them from point blank. He saw Kalen's newly freed arm reach into his cloak and pull out an object that Taako didn't have the slightest clue as to its purpose. He saw that same arm launch the object to the door behind him as he fell backward, thrown off balance by his umbrastaff being torn from his hands.

And finally, he saw Kalen. Towering above him. Rubbing his wrists, the umbrastaff in his arms, and smiling, ever so devilishly. Taako tried to scream. Nothing came. He tried to run. He only got about a foot before collapsing, electing instead to crawl on all fours. He clawed at the door, noticing that the object had latched itself there. "Alpha Halt," Kalen stated matter-of-factly. "Can turn any object immovable, and can't be affected by Dispel Magic. Had to pay a pretty penny for this." He paused for a moment, surveying the crumpled form of Taako on the floor. "Your friends won't be getting in here anytime soon."

Taako stood up, leaning against the door for support. He stared at Kalen through his hair, terrified. He knew he'd have to fight this one on his own. He wasn't looking forward to it. He lunged for the umbrastaff, praying to all the gods to give him the strength to grab it. Kalen moved swiftly to the side, pulling out a dagger and slashing Taako through the stomach. Taako collapsed on the floor behind him, the gash wasn't deep, but it was almost all the way across his abdomen. Kalen pointed the umbrastaff at Taako, casting a spell at his back and shoving it into his belt as he said, "I'll give your regards to Magnus."

Instantly Taako started vomiting blood. He felt strong necromantic energy seething through his skin. Blood trickled from everywhere, quickly forming a sizeable pool at Taako's knees.

|><|  
|><|

Kravitz jolted up from his seat. _Something was wrong._ He grabbed the stone of far speech out of Magnus's hand, waking the large man from where he had dozed off. "What's happenin'?" he asked groggily.

Kravitz didn't respond. Instead, he spoke into the stone of far speech. "Lucretia, where is Taako?"

A trembling voice came through the stone a moment later. "H-he's in the room, we, w-we can't get the door open... oh god there's so much blood..."

"Lucretia, _where?!_ "

"...th-the brig, uh... room E-308."

Kravitz slammed the stone down on the table, summoning his scythe in his left hand. Magnus was fully alert by now. "We gotta go. Something's wrong." Magnus nodded. Kravitz turned his back to Magnus and the table, ripping a hole in the air and turning to take Magnus's hand and step through the rift.

|><|  
|><|

Kalen froze where he was tending to the device on the door. He heard a loud ripping, and turned to where it had come from. Kravitz stepped through the portal, followed by Magnus, who ran to Taako the second he was fully in the room. Kravitz stared at Kalen, hate and despise fiery in his blood red eyes. He started toward him, raising his scythe above his head. A ball of light came flying from the umbrastaff, and instantly Kravitz was on the ground, unable to move. Kalen never took his eyes off the large man opposite him. Kravitz saw him moving towards Magnus, horrified. He couldn't let either of them get hurt. But he couldn't _do_ anything.

Another flash of light from the umbrastaff. Magnus was sent flying into the opposite wall, he too rendered immobile on the ground. Kalen dropped the umbrastaff at his side and knelt over Magnus's body. "I've waited years for this chance, and here you are, right in front of me!" Kalen laughed insanely, his fingers wrapping around Magnus's throat. Magnus gasped and coughed, tears filling his eyes.

"Hey fuckwad!" Kalen turned to see Taako, standing with the umbrastaff trained on him. "This is for Julia." With that, a beam of blinding white light shot from the umbrastaff straight to Kalen's head, as Taako's _Power Word Kill_ stopped every organ in his body, killing him instantly. Simultaneously, Magnus and Kravitz regained their mobility, and Magnus shot towards Taako as the elf collapsed into a pool of his own blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title taken from Smithereens by twenty one pilots


	8. and now i just sit in silence

"Lup, you need to get over here, _now_."

Lup heard a familiar voice through her stone of far speech interrupt her conversation with Carey. The tone of the voice made her _incredibly_ uneasy. "Kravitz? What's going on?"

"Just get to our dorm. Taako's hurt, there... there's no time to explain."

Lup's heart sank. She gave Carey a quick goodbye and began sprinting down the quad, faster than even she knew her legs could carry her. At first she stuck to the path, weaving her way through passing Bureau members, but after a few seconds, she concluded that she wasn't going fast enough. She veered off into the grass, narrowly avoiding falling into the huge fountain at the center of the quad. She spotted the BoB dorm building in the distance. She ran. Faster. _Faster_. She was desperate. Clawing for the sight of her brother, alive and well. She didn't have any fucking clue what was happening to him, but she didn't want to think about it. She _couldn't_ think about it. As she bolted through the dorm building doors, she could feel something different. Something painful. A powerful tightness enveloped her as she sprinted up the stairwell and down the long corridor to the penthouse entrance.

She opened the door. She couldn't breathe. She saw Magnus, Kravitz, even Lucretia crowded, huddling around something on the floor. She looked down. She saw his shoes. Those damn heels he insisted on wearing because they made him taller than her. She sprinted into the room. She shoved Lucretia aside, pushing her way into the huddle. The first thing she noticed was the blood. Everywhere. This was not her brother. His skin was too red, not green enough to match the tone of her own. His shirt had been cut away, and Lup recognized the shredded fabric of a binder. Lup winced, tears filling her eyes. He always said his happiest achievement in transmutation magic was figuring out a way to give her the body she so desperately needed, yet even after all these years he still hadn't taken the time to figure out something for himself. He turned to her, a smile fighting to make its way onto his pained face at the sight of her.

"Hey, L—" he was interrupted by a few coughs, long and labored, substantial amounts of blood splattering on his chest with each one. "Hey, Lulu."

His arm twitched as he tried to raise it to her unsuccessfully. Lup took his hand in her own, raising it to press against her cheek. "Hey, Koko."

Taako looked down to Kravitz, who was kneeled at his feet. His hand was placed gently on the elf's ankle. Taako felt the cool skin on his own, wanting to hold on to that coolness. He wanted that coolness to envelop him, to stop the burning, _burning_ everywhere. But it was gone. Kravitz stood up, placing a hand on Lup's shoulder. He spoke softly, trying his best to keep clam. "Lup, I'm going to go talk to the Raven Queen. You can come with if—"

"I need to stay here," Lup said simply, her eyes still fixed on Taako.

"Ok.." Kravitz turned, stepping out into the common room to tear a rift into the Astral Plane.

Taako turned to his other side, to see Magnus, just bawling. Taako didn't know how the hell he could see through all those tears, then realized he probably couldn't. Magnus called into the kitchen, louder than even he had expected. "Merle! What the fuck is taking so long?" He wanted to do more. He wanted to hold Taako, to touch him, to make him comfortable.

But he didn't want to _hurt_ him.

Merle waddled in from the kitchen, holding several jars of herbs and unidentifiable substances, some Taako didn't even know they had anymore. "Sorry, sorry, I-I had trouble finding some stuff, uh... but- but I should have everything here." He started setting down the jars around Taako's head, opening each one by one and sprinkling the contents around Taako's body, more where his injuries were worse. Finally he spread a sickly brown substance across the gash on Taako's abdomen.

Taako had been in and out of consciousness before, but when this stuff touched his wound, he was fully aware. And fully screaming. He jerked his once limp arms wildly, searing pain shooting everywhere from his stomach. "Taako, I'm so sorry, babe, I—" Lup began, trying to hold his arms down. "I know it hurts, but you have to stay still, please." She directed her voice to Magnus next. "Magnus, help me hold him down." Magnus stared at Taako's flailing form. "Magnus! What the fuck are you looking at?"

He looked up suddenly, coming to his senses. He placed his hands on Taako, gently at first, carefully, adding more force when it became evident that Taako wasn't backing down. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, oh _Gods_ , Merle just _do_ something!" Magnus sounded more desperate than any of them had ever heard him, his eyes glued shut.

"I'm getting to it, big guy, just hold on a second," Merle replied, frantically flipping to a page in the back of his Extreme Teen Bible. He read from the page, an incantation none of them had heard before.

Lup watched her brother anxiously, looking up to Merle after a few uneventful seconds passed. "Was that supposed to do something?"

Merle looked down at the page again, scanning the words closely. He shifted his grip to hold the book in one hand, lightly placing his other on Taako's forehead. Instantly, veins of light sprung out from Merle's fingers, spreading quickly across Taako's body, inching toward his wounds. The light enveloped his entire body, seeming to leech all other light in the room toward him and only him. The herbs seeped into his body, disappearing into him. His blood followed, sinking back into his veins. Finally, his wounds closed, leaving only perfect, seafoam green skin behind.

The light faded. They waited. They watched. Taako opened his eyes slowly. He rose delicately up to a sitting position, the others leaning back to give him space. He placed his hand on his temple, rubbing at a headache. "...fuck, Merle, finally learned how to do some healing, huh?" The air in the room instantly changed. They all laughed, faces tear stained and tired. They heard ripping from behind them, and Taako turned to see Kravitz stepping out of a rift, his skin sewing itself back over his skull. He turned, grabbing Lup for support as he stood. He started towards Kravitz, but lost his balance after a step, falling into the reaper's arms.

"Woah, there," Kravitz said, smiling. "You're still weak."

"Babe, I wanna go to bed," Taako mumbled into Kravitz's chest.

"I know. Let's go get you a new shirt." He began to lead Taako to their room, looking over his shoulder at Merle with a smile. He mouthed, _Thanks for taking care of him_ , then walked off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title taken from Car Radio by twenty one pilots


	9. hands can hurt or heal

Magnus could still hear a muffled conversation through the wall. Kravitz and Lup had been in the guest bedroom Lup elected to stay in for a while, and while Magnus couldn't quite make out what they were saying, he interpreted from their tone that it was serious. And private.

He decided to go somewhere quieter, carrying himself from the common room into the hallway, and through the door to the bedroom. He shut the door softly behind him, not wanting to wake the elf lying there. He crossed the room, settling down in the large wooden chair next to the bed. He took a moment to look at Taako. To make sure he was breathing. Once he was sure of this, he shifted to casually admiring his appearance. Even sleeping, Taako was beautiful. The curve of his back contrasted so nicely with the angularity of his jaw. The soft green of his skin stood out from all substances, naturally glowing and radiant. Taako may have thought he had to enhance his appearance with magic, but Magnus loved every bit of every imperfection. Not that there were many to count. He was so lucky to have this beauty.

He was so lucky he hadn't lost this beauty.

He placed his elbows on his knees, cupping his face in his hands as he exhaled a shaky breath. He sat there for a while longer, not moving, just breathing. After several unsuccessful attempts at sleep, he laboredly got up, throwing his shirt to the floor and climbing into the bed next to Taako, keeping about a foot between them. He tried his best not to disturb the elf, but his large frame made that a bit difficult.

Taako stirred for a moment, then rolled over to face the large human. He yawned, adjusting the sheets, then scooted forward, placing his head in the nook of Magnus's neck, burrowing into his chest. Magnus didn't move. Taako shifted again, wrapping his arms around his partner. "mmmph... Mags, cuddles.." he said into Magnus's neck. Magnus pursed his lips. Taako turned his head slightly after a moment, looking at Magnus directly. He spoke softer this time, noticing the furrow in Magnus's brow. "...Magnus.. touch me."

"I--" Magnus choked on his words.

"Babe?" The concern in Taako's voice was growing.

"I can't," Magnus finally got out.

Taako shifted to prob himself up on one elbow, placing his other hand on Magnus's cheek. "...What do you mean you can't? Of course you can, I-- I want you to, Magnus."

"I...no, I--" Magnus squeezed his eyes shut. "...I'll hurt you..."

Taako just stared for a moment, his expression gradually morphing from worry to something akin to horror. He removed his hand from the larger man's cheek, placing it over his own mouth. His speech was soft and muffled. "N-no, I--" He wrapped his arms around Magnus, tangling his fingers in the human's soft curls. "Magnus, you could never."

Magnus pulled out of the elf's grasp, shifting to sit at the edge of the bed, head in his hands. "You-- no, I..." his voice broke. "I did, you... you wouldn't have gotten hurt if it weren't for me. If- if I could remember, I could've--" Magnus swallowed, long and hard. "You'd be better off without me. I should just--"

"Shut the fuck up!" Taako scrambled out of the bed to stand above Magnus. He clenched his fists, his jaws shut tight. "What the hell are you talking about? We need you. Me and Krav both. If you were gone, I--" Taako suddenly felt weak. His knees buckled, and he fell to the floor. He reached for Magnus's feet, his silky hair falling over them and obscuring his face. "I-- Please don't leave me... I-I can't lose you again."

Magnus felt a warm wetness on his feet. "Taako." He reached down after a moment, placing a hand on the elf's head. He lowered it to Taako's chin, raising it to look into his glassy eyes. Gods, he loved those eyes. "I'm not going anywhere." He bent over to lock lips with Taako, picking him up to sit on his lap after a moment.

Taako wiped at his cheeks once they parted. "Promise me."

"I promise. I'm staying right here," Magnus assured, planting a kiss on the elf's forehead. Taako buried his face in Magnus's hair, wrapping him in a tight embrace. They stayed there for a long time, just being with one another.

Kravitz came in a while later, placing a tray with some sandwiches and water on the bedside table. "If either of you are feeling up for lunch, I'll leave that there." He turned back to the door, starting to pull it closed as he exited.

"Krav," Taako called into the hall, just before the door was completely shut.

Kravitz peeked his head back in. "Yes, dove?"

"Stay?"

The reaper smiled for a moment, before reentering the room. "Of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title taken from E-Lo by Los Unidades and Pharrell Williams


	10. lately, i'm like the villain

Kravitz tapped his knuckles to the guest room door, waiting for a moment for the door to open.

"Hey, Krav," Lup greeted with a tired smile. "What's up?"

Kravitz looked to the ground awkwardly for a moment. "There's something we need to talk about."

"Sure, is everything all right?" Lup huffed a laugh. "I mean, I know everything's kinda shitty right now, but uh, you know... other than that."

Kravitz raised his gaze to look Lup in the eyes. "I suppose this could be considered a bit of a sensitive topic at this point in time. I think it's best if we speak in private."

"Oh," Lup seemed surprised. "Uh, sure." She stepped aside, holding the door open for Kravitz to step through. She closed it softly as he settled himself into the chair in the corner of the room. "So, what's bugging you?"

Kravitz shifted in the chair, unable to get comfortable. "I-- Okay. Before I say this, I need you to promise you'll let me tell Taako."

Lup walked slowly across the room, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Uh, I mean I guess?" She was intrigued, but a slight tightness lingered in her chest.

Kravitz paused for a moment. He leaned down, placing his elbows on his knees, his fingers clasped tightly together. "I was scared. And-- and I didn't want to lose him. So I talked to the Raven Queen." Lup's mouth was dry. She didn't like where this was going. "I... I asked her to make Taako a reaper when he dies."

Lup stared for a moment in disbelief, then leaned backward, letting herself fall onto the sheets. She sighed. "You fucked up, Bone Boy."

Kravitz's grip tightened. "I know. I thought if--"

"It doesn't matter what you thought, Krav!" Lup sprung back up, getting to her feet. "You can't undo that! He has to deal with this shit for the rest of his life. No, not even. He has to deal with this shit forever!"

"I know, I-- I didn't want to lose him, Lup. I thought maybe... e-even if he died I could still save him."

"Kravitz, this is why we leave the saving to the healers. I mean, you and I both know Merle's had his ups and downs, but he knows what he's doing when it comes down to it." Lup rubbed her eyes for what felt like an eternity.

"I'm sorry." Kravitz lowered his gaze to the floor. The silence hung in the air for a moment. It was deafening, crushing them both.

"It's not me you should be apologizing to. He should have been able to decide on his own." Lup sat back down on the bed. She interlaced her fingers, placing her elbows on her knees and letting her hands hang between her legs. "Gods, I'm so fucked up."

"What?" Kravitz looked up in confusion.

"I'm actually kinda relieved," Lup admitted. "I was scared. I... I didn't know how I'd be without him." Kravitz leaned back. He'd never really thought of that. "This reaper thing is a full-time job, like it or not. Even after he was gone, I'd still be here. ...I kinda like the thought that I don't have to be without him now."

Kravitz glanced down at his watch. He sighed, "It's almost two. I'm gonna go make some lunch. Do you want anything?" He looked over to Lup, getting up from the chair to walk over to the door.

"No, I'll eat later. I'm not really hungry right now." She rolled over on the bed. She was so exhausted, they all were.

"All right. Let me know if you need anything." Kravitz exited, letting the door shut softly behind him. He paced to the kitchen, his thoughts blurring out his actions as he threw together a few sandwiches. They were nowhere near the quality that...

Kravitz clenched his fists. He hunched over the plate, breathing hard for a moment. His head buzzed, so full of mottled emotions he could hardly think. He took a deep breath after a few seconds, regaining his composure. He placed the plate on a tray, grabbing a few glasses out of the cabinet and filling them with water. He strode through the common room and into the hall, balancing the tray in one hand and turning the knob to the bedroom with the other. He placed the tray on the nightstand, mumbling a few words to let the occupants know it was there, then turned to exit the room. He had the door almost completely closed when he heard the most beautiful sound in the world.

"Krav?"

He cracked the door open again, peering inward to regard the elf. He looked so frail. So fragile. Like glass that would shatter at the slightest pull of a heartstring. "Yes, dove?"

"Stay?" Kravitz's heart swelled with warmth. So much warmth that his frigid hands seemed a little less cold. He reentered obediently, slipping into the bed with careful ease.

"Of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title taken from Lord Willin' by Logic


End file.
